169.454 TYPE III VEHICLE STANDARDS.
    Subdivision 1. Standards. This section applies to type III vehicles used for the transportation
of school children when owned and operated by a school district or privately owned and operated.
All related equipment provided on the vehicle must comply with federal motor vehicle safety
standards where applicable. If no federal standard applies, equipment must be manufacture's
standard.
    Subd. 2. Age of vehicle. Vehicles 12 years or older must not be used as type III vehicles
to transport school children, except those vehicles that are manufactured to meet the structural
requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 222, Code of Federal Regulations, title 49,
part 571.
    Subd. 3. Color. Vehicles must be painted a color other than national school bus yellow.
    Subd. 4. Fire extinguisher. A minimum of one 10BC rated dry chemical type fire
extinguisher is required. The extinguisher must be mounted in a bracket, and must be located in the
driver's compartment and be readily accessible to the driver and passengers. A pressure indicator
is required and must be easily read without removing the extinguisher from its mounted position.
    Subd. 5. First aid kit and body fluids cleanup kit. A minimum of a ten-unit first aid kit,
and a body fluids cleanup kit is required. They must be contained in removable, moisture- and
dust-proof containers mounted in an accessible place within the driver's compartment and must be
marked to indicate their identity and location.
    Subd. 6. Identification. The vehicle must not have the words "school bus" in any location on
the exterior of the vehicle, or in any interior location visible to a motorist.
    Subd. 7. Lamps and signals. Installation and use of the eight-lamp warning system is
prohibited.
All lamps on the exterior of the vehicle must conform with and be installed as required by
federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108, Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, part 571.
    Subd. 8. Stop-signal arm. Installation and use of a stop-signal arm is prohibited.
    Subd. 9. Mirrors. The interior clear rearview mirror must afford a good view of pupils and
roadway to the rear. Two exterior clear rearview mirrors must be provided, one to the left and
one to the right of the driver. Each mirror must be firmly supported and adjustable to give the
driver clear view past the left rear and the right rear of the bus.
    Subd. 10. Warning device. A type III bus must contain at least three red reflectorized
triangle road warning devices. Liquid burning "pot type" flares are not allowed.
    Subd. 11.[Repealed, 1Sp1997 c 4 art 12 s 34]
    Subd. 12. Option. Passenger cars and station wagons may carry fire extinguisher, first aid
kit, and warning triangles in the trunk or trunk area of the vehicle, if a label in the driver and front
passenger area clearly indicates the location of these items.
    Subd. 13. Exemption. When a vehicle otherwise qualifying as a type III vehicle under
section 169.01, subdivision 6, paragraph (5), whether owned and operated by a school district or
privately owned and operated, is used to transport school children in a nonscheduled situation, it
shall be exempt from the vehicle requirements of this section and the licensing requirements of
section 171.321, if the vehicle is properly registered and insured and operated by an employee or
agent of a school district with a valid driver's license.
History: 1994 c 647 art 12 s 25; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 2 s 38,39; 1Sp2003 c 9 art 1 s 46,47